Tineke Postma - Voya

Label: Clap Your Hands, 2025

Personnel - Tineke Postma: alto and soprano saxophone; Theo Bleckmann: vocals (#1,4,5,8); David Doruzka: guitar; Robert Landfermann: double bass; Tristan Renfrow: drums.

Voya, the ninth album by Dutch saxophonist and composer Tineke Postma, finds her at the helm of a tightly knit European quartet of long-standing collaborators: guitarist David Dorůžka, bassist Robert Landfermann, and drummer Tristan Renfrow. The added distinction here is the presence of German-born, New York–based avant-garde vocalist Theo Bleckmann on selected tracks. Bleckmann has become a singular voice on the contemporary scene through close collaborations with John Hollenbeck, Ben Monder, and Meredith Monk. In a comparable way, Postma has built her own path through sustained musical relationships. As a leader, she has worked with figures such as Geri Allen, Ralph Alessi, Greg Osby, and Kris Davis; as a sidewoman, she has appeared alongside Terri Lyne Carrington, Dianne Reeves, and Amina Figarova.

The album’s title carries a threefold meaning: voyage, voice, and Oya, the Yoruba goddess of winds and storms. It opens with “Unity and Four Reasons of Hope”, where saxophone and voice intertwine with ease, floating over impulsive bass movement and sensitively brushed drums and cymbals. The piece also serves as a launchpad for focused, well-intoned individual explorations by Bleckmann and Postma, before closing with a coda that allows Renfrow to step forward with finely shaped drum commentary.

“Lillies” is an adventurous, sharply etched composition built on fragmented phrasing delivered with hard-edged staccato clarity. Here, the group ventures further outside the lines, with Dorůžka proving a vital presence: his incisive interjections sharpen Postma’s commanding solo, which he then follows with a vivid statement of his own. The brief but energetic “Rhetor’s Dream” sustains a lush atmosphere, hovering somewhere between the lyrical fusion associated with Charlie Mariano and the exploratory language of the AACM tradition, while “TP4” skillfully blends slippery funk and hip-hop inflections.

Several more contemplative pieces give Bleckmann’s often overdubbed voice a central role. “Suchness” and “Mirror Oh Mirror” stand out in this regard, the former unfolding as a deeply felt chorale anchored by Landfermann’s poignant bowed bass; the latter carried out by Dorůžka’s gently arpeggiated textures. “For Theo”, Postma’s dedication to the vocalist, opens a mellow, spacious environment in which texture and color are allowed to bloom. Postma demonstrates complete command of her instrument, while Bleckmann responds with remarkable flexibility and sensitivity, reinforcing the music’s ethereal dimension.

After “IDC”, whose enigmatic mood is heightened by a disorienting tempo and an odd, grounding bass figure, the album closes with a rendition of Wayne Shorter’s “Somewhere Called Where”. This work reaffirms Postma’s commitment to personal expression, collective trust, and forward-looking sound worlds.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Lillies ► 03 - Rhetor’s Creek ► 05 - Mirror Oh Mirror ► 10 - IDC

Timo Vollbrecht - Bremen New York

Label: Berthold Records, 2025

Personnel - Timo Vollbrecht: tenor saxophone; Ralph Alessi: trumpet; Elias Stemeseder: piano; Chris Tordini: acoustic bass; Thomas Strønen: drums.

For his fourth album as a leader, German saxophonist and composer Timo Vollbrecht—who swapped Berlin for New York 15 years ago—assembles a dream quintet featuring American trumpeter Ralph Alessi, bassist Chris Tordini, and Norwegian drummer Thomas Strønen. Rounding out the group is the excellent Austrian-born pianist Elias Stemeseder, a former Brooklyn roommate and a key musical partner in Vollbrecht’s Fly Magic Quartet. Recorded live at Bremen’s Sendesaal concert hall, renowned for its exceptional acoustics, the album presents seven original compositions written specifically for this ensemble and shaped with carefully layered emotion and color.

“Com Tempo” is a striking opener, unfolding at a leisurely pace through an intriguingly elastic structure. It begins with Alessi’s glowing lyricism over a deep, supple groove, pointing toward the theme as Vollbrecht joins him in parallel lines, while Stemeseder adds shimmering harmonic hues. Volbrecht’s fluid soloing is rich in melodic hooks, prompting subtle shifts in density from the pianist’s responsive comping.

Set in a 7/4 meter, “Brighton Blues” radiates a quiet magnetism, clearly defined by a strong piano cadence floating over a silky bass-and-drums current. Vollbrecht’s intricate, arpeggiated language occasionally evokes Charles Lloyd, reaching for a spiritual dimension atop a rhythm that breathes with ease. “Spicy Moon” unfolds like an abstract impressionistic canvas, growing especially lyrical through Tordini’s melodic low-end explorations. A contemporary ballad at heart, it balances intricacy and space before opening suddenly into a vamp that thickens the texture, giving Alessi room to dive in with impressive range and refined phraseology.

Despite its title, “Dark” is a scintillating ballad illuminated by moments of pure light. Strønen’s restrained brushwork and lucid cymbal touches provide graceful support, while Alessi once again shines with his poignant, finely shaded trumpet voice. On “Pau”, named after Vollbrecht’s son, the saxophonist gradually veers into avant-garde territory after an opening colored by classical and chamber-jazz elements. Tordini and Strønen press forward with logic and dynamic nuance, while Alessi gives his melodies space to breathe, shaping them with care and intent. The album closes in balladic fashion with “New York Love Affair”.

Vollbrecht’s mature writing deserves high praise, and the session as a whole feels resonant, poetic, and deeply authentic. One can only hope this quintet remains active and continues to document its chemistry in future releases.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Com Tempo ► 02 - Brighton Blues ► 04 - Dark

Chad Taylor Quintet - Smoke Shifter

Label: Otherly Love Records, 2025

Personnel - Bryan Rogers: tenor saxophone; Jonathan Finlayson: trumpet; Victor Vieira-Branco: vibraphone; Matt Engle; bass; Chad Taylor: drums.

Smoke Shifter marks the sixth release as a leader by sought-after drummer and composer Chad Taylor, currently based in Philadelphia. He enlists three other Philadelphia-based musicians—all of them contributing compositions—saxophonist Bryan Rogers, Brazilian-born vibraphonist Victor Vieira-Branco, and bassist Matt Engle, forming the core of his quintet. The exception is New York–based trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, who orbits this nucleus with magnetic peripheral radiation. Together, they blaze new trails with an unbridled sense of freedom, anchored in both traditional jazz idioms and improvisation.

The album opens with Rogers’ “Broken Horse”, a danceable 6/8 piece incorporating an electrifying pulse and contemporary jazz elements. The saxophonist explains that it was written specifically for this group, and that the robust bass line that sustains it just popped up into his head. With Taylor behind the kit providing a stalwart anchor, the group keeps the music vital and in constant motion.

Engle’s “Avian Shadow” lifts off with soulful openness, initially driven by cross-stick propulsion and a six-beat bass figure that supports the emerging harmonic consonance between horns and vibraphone. Finlayson’s authoritative solo sparks bright responses from Vieira-Branco, while Rogers moves from unpretentiously probing to openly expansive in his narrative.

Taylor, whose musical energy acts as a catalyst for the group’s cohesion, contributes two pieces of his own. The immaculately layered “Waltz For Meghan”, dedicated to his wife, emanates exotic hues in a grand, flowing stream, creating a distinctive atmosphere that fuses chamber jazz with an African-tinged pulse. Under Taylor’s astute brushwork, Engle sounds strikingly melodic, while Rogers delivers an emotionally attuned and impactful statement. The drummer’s other composition is the title track, “Smoke Shifter”, whose affable character and odd meter draw the horn players together with shared commitment and joy, revealing a keen instinct for counterpoint and collective interplay during the theme exposition.

The album closes with two demanding pieces by Vieira-Branco. Moving at a slow 4/4 pace, “October 26th” is grounded by the composer’s hypnotic vibraphone work in perfect communion with bass and drums. Casting a magnetic spell akin to Bobby Hutcherson and Andrew Hill, they later have sax and trumpet reinforcing the enchantment. “Paradise Lawn/October 29th” shifts meters, beginning in a suspended, abstract mode before Taylor’s magnificent drumming bridges into the waltzing smoothness of the second section, which includes a finely shaped solo by its composer.

Smoke Shifter is packed with surprise, openness, and spirit—a cliché-free session that thrives on first-rate, forward-looking melodies hovering over admirable rhythmic tapestries.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Broken Horse ► 03 - Waltz For Meghan ► 04 - Smoke Shifter ► 06 - Paradise Lawns / October 29th

Yako Trio with Harris Lambrakis and James Wylie - Woven

Label: FWF Records, 2025

Personnel - Leandros Pasias: piano; Vangelis Vrachnos: double bass; Giorgos Klountzos Chrysidis: drums + Harris Lambrakis: ney; James Wylie: saxophone.

Yako Trio’s eclectic instincts are fully on display on their latest album, Woven, an even-keeled exploration of genre-bending ambiences filtered through the group’s distinctive lens. The Thessaloniki-based trio—pianist Leandros Pasias, bassist Vangelis Vrachnos, and drummer Giorgos Klountzos Chrysidis—expands into a quintet here with two guest woodwind players: New Zealander saxophonist James Wylie and Athens-born flutist Harris Lambrakis.

This highly listenable session opens with “Mr. McCoy”, a tribute to pianist McCoy Tyner and the invigorating energy of his playing. Written by Pasias, the piece centers around a rich harmonic riff while Coltranean lines surge from the frontline. Swinging underneath with liberating force, it features ecstatic improvisations from each member and vividly evokes Tyner’s ‘70s post-bop. Vrachnos’ “Ghostly Wind” follows, unfolding like an Eastern dance with groovy bass figures, catchy melodicism, and a gently lilting rhythmic flow.

Pasias reveals an interesting, broad compositional vision throughout, contributing some of the album’s most gripping pieces, including “Kloutzoa” and “Impromptu”. The former—a breezy, soulful tune written for Chrysidis and recalling Kamasi Washington’s soul-jazz pulse—rides on a nicely chilled beat from the drummer; while the latter feels as if McCoy Tyner had teamed up with Mulatu Astatke in a modal post-bop/world-fusion crossroad, with flute-and-sax juxtapositions reaching a spiritual sensitivity. Pasias also composed “Myrtilo”, a soothing, luminous ballad.

Chrysidis’ “Speaking Voice” begins with cymbal magnification before settling into a seductive, R&B-inflected piece that nods to fusion through bouncing electric piano textures and skittering hi-hat patterns. The album winds down in a relaxed atmosphere with Vrachnos’ ballad “Sweet Lotus”.

Woven, named for its interlacing of musical idioms, showcases Yako Trio’s global sensibilities and captures the ear through the clarity and cohesion of their musical craft.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Mr. McCoy ► 03 - Kloutzoa ► 04 - Impromptu

Bill Ware and the Club Bird All Stars - Martian Sunset

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2025

Personnel - Bill Ware: vibraphone, melodica; Rez Abbasi; guitar; Matt King: piano; Jay Anderson: bass; Taru Alexander: drums.

Martian Sunset is the latest album from American vibraphonist and composer Bill Ware, who, over a three-decade career, has carved his path across a variety of ensembles including The Jazz Passengers, Groove Collective, the trio Vibes, and Rez Abbasi’s Acoustic Quartet. The ten original compositions were written anew—though initially conceived as part of his pandemic-triggered 1k Song Project—for The Club Bird All-Stars, the long-running vehicle for his prolific creativity, formed in 1993 after a three-month engagement at the beloved Japanese venue Club Bird. The group’s new iteration features adventurous guitarist Rez Abbasi, seasoned bassist Jay Anderson, and unsung drummer Taru Alexander, with pianist Matt King remaining in the lineup.

From the opening bars of “Around The Horn”, it becomes immediately clear that Ware is a multi-genre-infused musician. Slightly funkified and strikingly groovy, the piece draws on R&B colors and is buoyed by exciting, fluid solos from Abbasi, King, and Ware. “That Dirty Road” swings mildly, though its head isn’t particularly memorable, while the uptempo “Happy Bird” opens with lively drumming and moves with an easy fusion feel, featuring Ware on melodica.

The album begins to open up more fully from this point on, heating itself toward a steady crescendo. Inspired by Ornette Coleman and Sun Ra, the title cut throbs with tension and collective synchronization, while giving the soloists plenty of space for spontaneity—including Alexander, who closes the track with rock-like muscularity. In jaw-dropping fashion, “In a Spiral”—assembled from favored fragments of earlier compositions—unfolds with purpose, assuming a luscious modal tone and dancing enchantingly after Anderson’s double-stop-rich introduction. Abbasi scrawls astute phrases with dazzling delay effects, and Ware supplies harmonic depth before a polished vamp ushers in the drummer.

“Don’t Take Me Wrong” maintains its post-bop exploratory drive with contemporary freshness, especially through King’s contributions. Powering things along on the album’s outlier, “Hangin’ at Rez”, are Abbasi on acoustic guitar and Ware on melodica; under their spell, the tune moves as breezily as a lighthearted spring diversion. The album closes with “All the Way Down”, a loping, sumptuous jazz-funk number wrapped in warm hues. 

Covering a considerable range of moods without drifting from Ware’s stylistic core, Martian Sunset feels distinctly contemporary and offers a generous share of surprises.

Favorite Tracks:
06 - In a Spiral ► 07 - Don’t Take Me Wrong ► 08 - Hangin’ at Rez

Julius Gawlik - It's All in Your Head

Label: Unit Records, 2025

Personnel - Julius Gawlik: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Evi Filippou: vibraphone; Phil Donkin: bass; Jim Black: drums.

Emerging German saxophonist Julius Gawlik, a member of the prestigious NDR Big Band, has been developing his voice through several groups, including Jim Black & The Shrimps, Evi Filippou’s inEvitable, and the Jochen Ruckert Trio. Having already made a mark on the Berlin scene with these projects, it was more than time for Gawlik to release his debut album as a leader—fronting a tight yet open-minded quartet with Filippou on vibraphone, Phil Donkin on bass, and Black on drums. These bandmates help him sharpen the breadth of his stylistic palette.

“There Are No Ugly Dogs” begins in a quiet, nearly whispered mode, with saxophone and vibraphone fused in heady melodicism over an understated bass–drums pulse. The sound progressively expands as Black injects inventive, often displaced beats that generate a sense of sophisticated bemusement. After an energizing vibraphone solo, Gawlik narrates both inside and outside the changes, orbiting tangentially and weaving his well-developed language like a spider spinning its web. The piece culminates in a multiphonic-psyched vamp.

“You Wish” is more contemplative yet mysterious in tone—evoking the atmospheric aura of Andrew Hill—with Donkin’s bass work coming to the fore in the final third. “Glow” touches abstraction, propelled by brushes and melodically defined by clarinet, whereas “Chicago” maintains a constant fluidity following a stop-start motion that shapes its opening.

Shape-shifting with extraordinary complexity, “Fuchs” launches a rampant swinging drive with polyrhythmic impact. Despite the uptempo convergence, Gawlik’s tenor improvisation remains focused, lucid, and indisputably rousing. Navigating transitions with dexterity, the quartet slips into an alternative-rock posture that calls for some of Black’s most exuberant kit work. The enchanting closer, “TSCH”, carries an almost balladic touch—harmonically rich and melodically alluring. Gawlik first moves in tandem with Filippou before departing into a high-flying solo that is both riveting and affecting.

Gawlik’s music is to be taken seriously—rooted in creative idioms and supported by an accomplished tone on both saxophone and clarinet. His narratives are unpredictable, full of intriguing turns as he and his bandmates search for contemporary musical frameworks. It’s an outstanding debut.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - There Are No Ugly Dogs ► 03 - Fuchs ► 06 - TSCH

Billy Hart - Multidirectional

Label: Smoke Jazz Sessions Records, 2025

Personnel - Mark Turner: tenor saxophone; Ethan Iverson: piano; Ben Street: bass; Billy Hart: drums.

Serving as a celebration of his upcoming 85th birthday (November 29), the incomparable master drummer Billy Hart—whose musical sensibilities continually surprise regardless of context—releases his first live album with his esteemed quartet: tenorist Mark Turner, pianist Ethan Iverson, and bassist Ben Street. Multidirectional was recorded at NYC’s Smoke Jazz Club, featuring previously recorded material—including originals from three members of the quartet and a cover—that gains fascinating new perspectives and colors in an ode to both discipline and freedom.

Hart’s “Song For Balkis”, written for his daughter and originally included on the album All Our Reasons (ECM, 2012), begins with the drummer’s tom-tom prowess before shaping into a lyrical tone poem. Under the spell cast by the rhythm section, Turner unfolds a logical narrative, followed by a solo piano moment in which Iverson induces placid, dreamlike states with a sky-falling sequence of notes. The mood darkens slightly, and Turner returns with another inspired improvisational discourse. The piece is subtly reconfigured at the end with sophisticated, classical-leaning alignments. Hart also brings “Amethyst” to the lineup, taking a rubato, balladic orientation from the outset before crossing into abstract modal jazz and avant-garde territories, with Turner leading the charge. Iverson responds astutely over a stirring bass-and-drums chain.

The group drives listeners to many unexpected places, and their take on Coltrane’s classic “Giant Steps” is another prime example. Iverson’s intriguing introduction signals that they intend to approach the tune from a new angle—and they do. The dancing groove created by Street and Hart can either hold in pedal points or swing forward, and Iverson’s motivic structures and outro are remarkable.

Turner and Iverson each contribute a composition. The saxophonist wrote “Sonnet For Stevie” for Stevie Wonder, and the quartet’s rendition of this 2013 piece delights both collectively and through each individual statement, swinging and grooving with its own distinctive character. The pianist’s “Shoedown”—the opening piece of the quartet’s previous album Just (ECM, 2022)—is a strikingly beautiful ballad played at a comfortable tempo, with everyone performing from a place of deep conviction.

With musicianship running in their veins, the Billy Hart Quartet radiates elegance and wisdom at every turn. The drummer’s vital energy, unconventional technique, and refined taste remain nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Giant Steps ► 03 - Sonnet For Stevie ► 04 - Amethyst

John Scofield / Dave Holland - Memories of Home

Label: ECM Records, 2025

Personnel - John Scofield: guitar; Dave Holland: double bass.

American guitarist John Scofield and British bassist Dave Holland, two jazz heavyweights with a tremendous shared oeuvre, join forces for their first duo record, join forces for their first duo record, Memories of Home. Recorded after extensive touring together, the album its something to stick with, as they refine and hone abundant musical ideas in nine old and new compositions—five by Scofield and four by Holland. In the past, they spread their talent in projects by pianist Herbie Hancock and saxophonist Joe Henderson, and co-led the quartet ScoLoHoFo with saxist Joe Lovano and drummer Al Foster.

The album couldn’t have a better start than with Scofield’s “Icons at the Fair”, a phenomenal piece inspired by Hancock’s arrangement of “Scarborough Fair” on The New Standard (Verve, 1996). Its catchy American sound—rooted in blues and folk—is quintessential Scofield. Mastering his octaves technique, he begins with a crisp single-note narrative before infusing rich chords over Holland’s driving, athletic lines. The bassist follows with a hyper-articulated solo, eventually trading phrases with his musical partner before redirecting to the tune's theme. 

The following three pieces, all penned by Scofield, show these singular artists in top form, revealing their deep understanding of the material and elevating it through their craft. “Meant To Be”, a mesmerizing 3/4 post-bop classic from 1991, is played here with warmth and stylish finesse. “Mine Are Blues”, a new composition, brings expressive synchronicity to its main melody, swinging unabashedly until its glorious finale. “Memorette”, another 3/4 tune, relies on Holland’s bass dances and melodic insight.

Of Holland’s four previously recorded compositions, three gained notoriety through his quintet. Both “Mr. B”, a dedication to bassist Ray Brown that swings as sharp as a tack, and the groove-centered “Not For Nothing”, which retains its original 5/4 meter and features Scofield’s amazing comping, were first recorded with Holland’s famed vibraphone-equipped quintet. In turn, the straight-ahead “You I Love”—packed with invigorating walking bass and bluesy guitar chops—first appeared with a different quintet, Holland’s earliest, featuring a three-horn frontline with trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, altoist Steve Coleman, and trombonist Julian Priester. The album closes with the title track, a ballad with a pronounced country feel.

Scofield and Holland push each assertively into groovy territory. No matter what they play, they always find a way to pull focus and draw you in. This joint effort is a must-have for any jazz lover.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Icons at the Fair ► 02 - Meant To Be ► 03 - Mine Are Blues ► 08 - You I Love

Igor Lumpert Quartet - Resistance of the Earth

Label: ears&eyes Records, 2025

Personnel - Igor Lumpert: tenor and soprano saxophones, accordion; Leo Genovese: piano; Drew Gress: acoustic bass; Damion Reid: drums.

For his new quartet album, Resistance of The Earth, Slovenian saxophonist and composer Igor Lumpert assembles a formidable crew: sought-after pianist Leo Genovese, seasoned bassist Drew Gress, and dynamic drummer Damion Reid. Partly inspired by natural disasters and environmental decline, and partly a family tribute, the record turned out remarkably well for something captured in a single day after just one rehearsal. The music channels the modal spirit of John Coltrane and McCoy Tyner, while embracing modern composition and cross-cultural influences.

The title cut, “Resistance of the Earth”, opens with an assertive drum statement, soon joined by vocal chants and Lumpert’s fervent saxophone lines, enveloped in a modal aura reminiscent of Tyner and Billy Harper. The latter—alongside drummer Chico Hamilton and bassist Reggie Workman—was one of Lumpert’s mentors at New York’s New School. Lumpert’s solo brims with clarity and imagination, followed by a fiery turn from Genovese, who thrives in this setting. The pianist’s rhythmic elasticity also shines on “Sures”, an exciting piece with an intricate relationship with tempo and accentuation.

Among the album’s more athletic tunes, “High Peaks” begins in a controlled Coltranean post-bop frame before bursting into ecstatic avant-garde interplay, while “Mediterranean Samurai”—inspired by birdwatching and nature—unfolds with a 3/4 piano riff and martial snare fluxes beneath Lumpert’s fluid, cutting tenor lines.

The sophisticated ballad “Underwater Snow” cools the mood with soft textures and a chilled backbeat, serving as a touching tribute to Lumpert’s wife. His solo follows the tune’s emotional logic with poise and passion. “Choir Song”, asymmetrical and harmonically rich, channels a Wayne Shorter vibe and features Lumpert on both accordion and soprano sax. In “Panonian”, set in seven, sax and piano move with synergistic coordination, while the closer, “Blues for Code Talkers”, offers a disciplined, spiritual homage to the Native American soldiers who used tribal languages to transmit coded messages during WWII. The Coltrane/Tyner’s synergy is evident throughout this piece. 

The album’s cohesion stems from the quartet’s deep rapport and shared sense of purpose. Lumpert’s writing and playing strike a balance between intensity and intellect, and his bandmates respond in kind. Free of pretense or artifice, Resistance of the Earth stands as a solid, thoughtful statement of originals.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Resistance of the Earth ► 02 - Sures ► 03 - High Peaks

Kirk Knuffke - Window

Label: RPF Records, 2025

Personnel - Kirk Knuffke: cornet, vocals; Stomu Takeishi: bass; Bill Goodwin: drums.

For his 25th studio album, Window, cornetist-composer Kirk Knuffke—known for his expressive range and fearless commitment—dives into jazz minimalism, aiming straight for the listener’s heart through the beauty of his melodies. Here, he reveals another side of his artistry, singing on three tunes while engaging in inventive, telepathic interplay with his trio mates: the highly explorative bassist Stomu Takeishi, drawn to peculiar pulses and throbs, and veteran drummer Bill Goodwin, whose refined drive and tasteful touch elevate every track. Both musicians previously appeared on Knuffke’s quartet album Lamplighter (FSNT, 2015).

“Choose” is designed with a catchy drum shuffle, well-timed fills, a velvety plain melody, and a crunchy, funkified bass groove complemented with cool slides. Knuffke’s signature blend of elegance and edge comes to life on both “For Your Needing” and “Mr. Bill”. The former, wrapped in a rainbow of colors and propelled by Takeishi’s twangy tone, merges Charlie Chaplin’s cinematic playfulness with a spongy avant-garde jazz spirit. The latter—dedicated to the 83-year-old drummer featured here—sustains the avant-garde mood through quirky imagination and subtle fusion hints, courtesy of Takeishi’s unique sonic language.

Knuffke’s vocals enriches three pieces: “Runs Red”, which calls to mind the band Morphine, with Takeishi’s amazing harmonic context and Goodwin’s tribal percussion; “Window”, whose restrained Tom Waits-like vibe is enhanced by Goodwin’s exquisite brushwork; and “A Little More So”, a bluesy, melodic closer that wraps the album with warmth.

One of Knuffke’s great musical strengths is his adaptability to different formats and moods. There are three “Gong Improv" pieces topped with delicate cornet lines floating over bass slurs and trills. Despite of its title, “Ballad” gets some tense, eerie moments, while “Heavy Times” feels vibrantly jazzy and bluesy, driven by cornet-bass unisons and sensitive brushwork. The playful “Carey”, on the other hand, opens with an expressive drum sequence, showcasing Goodwin again in a spontaneous improvisation.

There’s an undeniable sense of familiarity and chemistry within this trio, reflected in music that’s warm and passionate. Window stands as a glowing affirmation in the art of three-way conversation.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Choose ► 03 - For Your Needing ► 04 - Mr. Bill  ► 06 - Runs Red

Royal Flux - Fluxuations

Label: Self released, 2025

Personnel - Sarah Kramer: trumpet, flugelhorn, effects, percussion and sounds, voice; Joe Berardi: drums, percussion, electronics and sounds; Jorge Calderón: bass and percussion.

Royal Flux, an experimental trio based in Los Angeles, features trumpeter Sarah Kramer, bassist Jorge Calderón, and drummer-percussionist Joe Berardi, who also handles electronics. Their debut album, Fluxuations, embraces an uncluttered aesthetic where cool, unfussy trumpet lines float above coherently woven rhythmic designs and bass-driven grooves. Entirely improvised across 14 tracks, the album balances ambient textures, soft funk spirit, and avant-garde exploration in an elegant package.

The title track, “Fluxuations”, opens as a laid-back, jazzy funk journey propelled by a cyclic eight-beat bass groove, shimmering electronics, and Kramer’s exploratory trumpet, reminiscent of Miles Davis’ spacious phrasing. “Kinda Red” shifts into a trippy dance-rock mood, its syncopated drum flux morphing with kinetic spontaneity. On “Pulsations”, bass and drums stride in funky unison while a delay-treated trumpet ripples above in waves of suspended motion. Leaning on the avant-garde, “Static Grind” ventures into industrial territory, its thrashing mechanical rhythm setting an oppressive base for sharp trumpet lines and spare, cerebral bass counterpoints.

If Cinematic Orchestra comes to mind on many tracks, the fusion-era spirit of Don Cherry and Miles Davis’ are present on “Meteor Down”, where placid trumpet lines hover above groovy, ruminatively funky bass and brushed percussion. The free-flowing “Miles Shorter” nods directly to Davis and Wayne Shorter through unceremonious trumpet bursts and conversational interplay, while “Shadow Lake” channels Nils Petter Molvær’s ambient minimalism tinged with Latin and blues hues. On “Slow Swirl”, busy drum thwacks and solid yet breathable bass lines turn into a hypnotic mantric prayer.

Though the trio occasionally leans on recurring formulas and we could ask for a bit more variety in the process, the evolving details that distinguish each track reveal themselves gradually with repeated listening. Fluxuations captures a levitating collective sound—methodical, imaginative, and quietly transformative.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Fluxuations ► 04 - Kinda Red ► 10 - Static Grind

Miguel Zénon - Vanguardia Subterranea

Label:  Miel Music, 2025

Personnel - Miguel Zénon: alto saxophone; Luis Perdomo: piano; Hans Glawischnig; bass; Henry Cole: drums.

Championing post-bop-infused Latin jazz like no one else, Puerto Rican saxophonist and composer Miguel Zénon reunites his long-standing quartet for a new album recorded live at New York’s Village Vanguard—an event marking the group’s 20th anniversary. Joined by Venezuelan pianist Luis Perdomo, Austrian bassist Hans Glawischnig, and Puerto Rican drummer Henry Cole, Zénon showcases a dazzling interplay of rhythmic intricacy and harmonic sophistication that keeps the storytelling at its peak.

The album opens in giddy delirium with “Abre Cuto Guiri Mambo”, whose skittering folk riffs, polyrhythm, and shifting meters lend it distinctly contemporary pulses. Zénon’s solos pour out in an unbroken stream of ideas, each phrase logically built yet bursting with invention, while Perdomo responds with sequences of meaningful, dynamically voiced chords. A closing 3/4 passage gives Cole space to branch out behind the kit.

“Vita”, written for Zénon’s grandmother, unfolds like a waltzing tango, highlighted by Glawischnig’s lyrical bass statement. By contrast, the complex “Dale La Vuelta” brims with frenetic rhythmic counterpoint and sharp impulsivity. “Coordenadas” is melodically fragmented yet conversational, and “Vanguardia Subterranea”—a tribute to the legendary venue Zénon calls a ‘sanctuary of music'—is both playful and riff-driven.

The quartet’s first-ever live album concludes with two salsa reinterpretations. Héctor Lavoe and Willie Colón’s “El Día de Mi Suerte” radiates bright, streetwise energy, full of color, rhythm, and unexpected meter changes. Meanwhile, José Luis Piloto’s “Perdóname” is reimagined with a muscular bass groove and a breathless piano solo bursting with chromatically shifting ostinatos.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Abre Cuto Guiri Mambo ► 02 - El Dia De Mi Suerte ► 08 - Perdóname

Jerome Sabbagh - Stand Up!

Label:  Analog Tone Factory, 2025

Personnel - Jerome Sabbagh: tenor saxophone; Ben Monder: guitar; Joe Martin: bass; Nasheet Waits: drums.

French-born, New York-based saxophonist Jerome Sabbagh reconvenes his long-standing, empathetic quartet for the first time in more than a decade. Joined by guitarist Ben Monder, bassist Joe Martin, and drummer Nasheet Waits—stepping in for Ted Poor—Sabbagh delivers a versatile post-bop album dedicated to his early teachers. Yet, each of the eight original compositions is a personal homage to someone who shaped his musical path. The title Stand Up!—borrowed from a tune on one of his earlier quartet albums—feels especially fitting in a time of political turbulence. 

The shimmering echoey of “Lone Jack”, dedicated to Ray Charles and producer Pete Rende, channels American roots music with a bluesy-country lilt that feels both grounded and forward-looking. Monder’s sinuous guitar solo, Sabbagh’s melodically radiant saxophone lines, and a propulsive, open hi-hat backbeat drive the piece with grace and purpose. “Lunar Cycle”, inspired by Sam Rivers’ “Cyclic Episode” from Fuchsia Swing Song (1965), burns with post-bop vitality. Its colorful theme, stated in unison with Monder, sets up burnished solos and gives Waits room for striking rhythmic commentary. 

Different in temperament, “The Break Song” and “Mosh Pit” pay tribute to Stevie Wonder and Trent Reznor, respectively. The former leans on a relaxed pop-rock pulse with subtle R&B inflections, while the latter erupts in muscular ferocity—dark saxophone lines, snarling guitar distortion, probing yet grounded bass conduction, and raw, explosive drumming as Waits knocks off the shine of his cymbals.

Gorgeously introspective, “Vanguard” honors the late Paul Motian, whose spirit informs its spacious phrasing and harmonic nuance. “Unbowed”, a modal post-bop finale for Kenny Barron, glows with Waits’ crisp snare rolls and cymbal shimmer, pushing Monder into electrifying territory. Between them lie two very personal dedications: the mid-tempo waltz “Michelle’s Song”, for Michelle Egan, and the sultry bossa “High Falls”, for Meaghan Glennan, evoking the warmth of Getz/Gilberto.

With Stand Up!, Sabbagh demonstrates he’s an open-minded, genre-defying saxophonist. Celebrating more than 20 years with this band, they spin with the same contagious enthusiasm as before.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Lone Jack ► 03 - Lunar Cycle ► 06 - Mosh Pit ► 08 - Unbowed

Charles Lloyd - Figure in Blue

Label: Blue Note Records, 2025

Personnel - Charles Lloyd: tenor saxophone, flute, tarogato; Jason Moran: piano; Marvin Sewell: guitar.

Trailblazing saxophonist Charles Lloyd casts an enchanting Southern spell with his latest double album, Figure in Blue, another formidable triumph affirming his boundless creativity, ancestral roots, and deep spirituality. He leads a new trio with longtime collaborator Jason Moran on piano and guitarist Marvin Sewell as the unpredictable wild card. Together, they excavate authentic Delta blues from compelling harmonic designs while honoring Lloyd’s many influences.

Duke Ellington, an early inspiration, receives three dedications. Lloyd’s original “Figure in Blue, Memories of Duke” contrasts happy guitar strums and shimmering piano with reflective passages, all threaded by improvisations that ripple with tension and beauty. The trio also revisits Ellington’s “Heaven” and “Black Butterfly”, both previously featured on Lloyd’s The Water is Wide (ECM, 2000).

Other tributes include Billy Holiday on the haunting eulogy “The Ghost of Lady Day”, where Lloyd’s rich, dramatic tenor sound collides with the rhythm section’s sensitive interplay; tabla player Zakir Hussain on the transcendental Eastern-infused meditation “Hymn to the Mother, For Zakir”; and Leonard Bernstein via a poignant reading of West Side Story’s “Somewhere”. The ballad “Hina Hanta, the Way of Peace”, invokes Lloyd’s Choctaw ancestry with unmistakable touch and spiritual openness. Lloyd explores beautiful melodies, often linked by swiftly articulated arpeggios, over the gauzy accompaniment provided by Moran and Sewell, the latter showing a fantastic control of volume swells.

Delta blues surfaces throughout but anchors firmly on “Chulahoma”, rhythmically woven by distorted electric guitar and trilling piano, and on “Blues For Langston”, a dedication to poet Langston Hughes with Lloyd on flute. Sewell’s detailed guitar work stands out on both pieces. Old compositions are reframed such as “Song My Lady Sings”, a 3/4 ballad culled from his second album Of Course, Of Course (Columbia, 1965), and both “Desolation Sound” and “Ruminations”, which are given a mix of post-bop and avant-garde treatments in their long-form arrangements.

Figure in Blue captures the soulfulness of Lloyd’s writing, both new and revisited, while showcasing the trio’s superb dynamics—drawing listeners ever deeper into his timeless sound world.

Favorite Tracks:
02 (CD1) - Hina Hanta, the Way of Peace ► 03 (CD1) - Figure in Blue, Memories of Duke ► 01 (CD2) - The Ghost of Lady Day ► 04 (CD2) - Black Butterfly

Wolfgang Muthspiel - Tokyo

Label: ECM Records, 2025

Personnel - Wolfgang Muthspiel: acoustic and electric guitars; Scott Colley: double bass; Brian Blade: drums.

Austrian guitarist and composer Wolfgang Muthspiel returns with his finely tuned trio—bassist Scott Colley and drummer Brian Blade—for their third ECM studio album. Tokyo features eight Muthspiel originals alongside covers of Keith Jarrett and Paul Motian, both presented with a redefined aura.

These covers bookend the album. Jarrett’s “Lisbon Stomp”, culled from the pianist’s 1967 debut Life Between the Exit Signs, opens with shades of bop, American blues, and gospel. Recast with modern bluesy chops, colorful intervals, and harmonic reinvention, it soon finds a swinging direction. Motian’s “Abacus” closes the set, loosely painted as an agile rumination steeped in lyrical abstraction.

Both renditions are emotionally honest and musically inspired, yet the real treasures lie in Muthspiel’s writing. “Paradela” glows in the dark as a resplendent rubato meditation, folding jazz and classical elements into a clear song form. Similarly, “Flight”—a piece in seven that layers arpeggiated passages, quick-witted chordal sequences, and smoky electric guitar lines—displays the guitarist’s emotive reach and the trio’s remarkable synergy. Colley’s breathing cadences and Blade’s enveloping cymbals add luminous depth. 

The rhythm section provides both stability and suppleness, allowing Muthspiel to pursue an acoustic, chamber-like aesthetic free of unnecessary ornament. “Diminished and Augmented” feels like a complex, modern étude, its shifting passages and odd meter opening into improvisation, while “Weill You Wait”, a bittersweet waltz with ‘singing’ bass lines, reflects his admiration for Kurt Weill. Blade’s brushwork here radiates subtlety and refinement. 

Unexpected turns also surface: “Roll” fuses rock ’n’ roll with bluegrass, while “Strumming” is a propulsive pop/rock-tinged jaunt in six, marked by gritty arco bass, bluesy bends, and resolute drive. 
Tokyo finds Muthspiel, Colley, and Blade in top form—an elegant, deeply rewarding listen for the attentive and the casual ear alike.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Paradela ► 06 - Diminished Augmented ► 08 - Strumming ► 09 - Weill You Wait

Nick Finzer - The Jazz Orchestra Vol. 1

Label: Outside in Music, 2025

Personnel - Saxophones: Michael Thomas (alto); Jordan Pettay (alto); Lucas Pino (tenor); Evan Harris (tenor); Tony Lustig (baritone); Trumpets: Augie Haas, Anthony Hervey, Nadje Noordhuis, Chloe Rowlands; Trombones: Nick Finzer, Rob Edwards, James Burton III, Sara Jacovino, Altin Sencalar;  Rhythm Section: Alex Wintz (guitar), Glenn Zaleski (piano), Dave Baron (bass), Jimmy Macbride (drums).

Nick Finzer is a creative trombonist and composer with refined taste and sinuous melodic instincts. Captured in a single-day session, The Jazz Orchestra Vol. 1 breathes new life into four of his most emblematic, previously recorded compositions alongside fresh reinventions of two J.J. Johnson classics. Inspired by the late trombonist and the big band legacies of Duke Ellington, Finzer assembled an 18-piece ensemble that includes his working sextet—the full rhythm section plus tenorist Lucas Pino. The album pays sincere tribute to the rich history of the jazz orchestra. 

Bursting with ardent hardbop devotion, Johnson’s “Say When” thrives on Finzer’s powerful declamation, his trombone lines cutting with melodic instinct and authority. Playful horn staccatos punch through neatly arranged hooks, while a buoyant swing underpins Jordan Pettay’s spirited alto solo. Johnson first recorded this piece with his big band in 1966.

Also by Johnson, “Lament” unfolds as a lyrical, expansive ballad of epic dimension that recalls Gil Evans’ orchestral maneuvers, one of Finzer’s touchstones. Those spectacular Evans-like timbres reappear in “The Guru”, originally heard on Cast of Characters (2020). With its rhythmic and harmonic brilliance, the piece weaves a mysterious mood through probing collisions and lush tapestries, highlighted by solos from trumpeter Anthony Hervey and Finzer himself. The colorful harmonic tapestries are offered by guitarist Alex Wintz and pianist Glenn Zaleski, respectively.

Another highlight is “We The People”, the dynamic opener from Hear & Now (2017), here reimagined by Jack Courtwright, Finzer’s notable graduate student at the University of North Texas. Freedom and collective consciousness permeate the music, magnified by inventive solos from trumpeter Chloe Rowlands, Pino, Wintz, and drummer Jimmy Macbride. That conversational fluidity of the improvisers continues on the closer, “Just Passed the Horizon”, where Wintz leads into Tony Lustig’s exuberant baritone statement and an invigorating collective jam that bursts with tonal color.  

The Jazz Orchestra Vol. 1 is a beautifully crafted album that brings Finzer’s A-game to the big band format. His dedication yields fresh surprises at every turn, and we never get tired of this unflagging ‘in the pocket’ drive, always carried out with a modern sensibility.

Favorite Tracks: 
01 - Say When ► 02 - The Guru ► 04 - We The People

Carmen Staaf - Sounding Line

Label: Sunnyside Records, 2025

Personnel - Carmen Staaf: piano; Ambrose Akinmusire: trumpet; Ben Goldberg: clarinets; Darren Johnston: trumpet; Dillon Vado: vibraphone; John Santos: percussion; Hamir Atwal: drums.

In her latest album, Sounding Line, pianist and composer Carmen Staaf probes different lineups and approaches, reimagining the music of pianists Mary Lou Williams and Thelonious Monk as intimate ‘conversations’. Inspired by their friendship and shared musical sensibilities, Staaf revisits two Monk pieces and three Williams gems—respectful but never slavish—while adding two of her own.

Duets with the incomparable trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire bookend the album. Williams’ “Scorpio” is stripped down to a six-beat piano bass figure over which Akinmusire unfurls his rich lyricism and unmistakable tone before the duo slides seamlessly into a 4/4 blues. The closer, Staaf’s “The Water Wheel” conjures magic. There’s nowhere to hide in a piano/trumpet duet and yet their introspective, dreamlike aura feels so natural and captivating—a rare convergence of aural bliss. Akinmusire devastates with his lyrical intensity before the texture swells toward an emotional climax.

A delightful lightness pervades Williams’s “Libra”, whose mix of poignancy and radiance is reinforced by clarinetist Ben Goldberg. The thoughtful piano comping and well-coordinated passages help rising the emotional levels. Goldberg is even more prominent on “Koolbonga”, an exotic Williams blues where he makes the bass clarinet groove with an agitated simmer. Presented in a quintet format, it brings trumpeter Darren Johnston and vibist Dillon Vado—here on tambourine—into tight coordination with Staaf and drummer Hamir Atwal.

The Monk selections are equally inspired. “Bye-Ya” features percussionist John Santos in a groovy dance designed with a peculiar lilt, harmonic sophistication, and quirky intervallic melodicism. “Monk’s Mood”, atmospherically rendered in rubato mode, has its theme built with Vado’s airy vibes.

Staaf’s “Boiling Point”, inspired by Monk’s “Shuffle Boil”, toys with tempo shifts, featuring solos from Johnston, who employs slick jazzy lines, and Staaf, who ventures fearlessly across Goldberg’s clarinet foundation and Atwal’s flickering brushwork.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Scorpio ► 03 - Libra ► 07 - The Water Wheel

Nadav Remez - Summit

Label: Outside In Music, 2025

Personnel - Nadav Remez: guitar; Gregory Tardy: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Guy Moskovich: piano; Ben Tiberio: bass; David Sirkis: drums.

It’s not uncommon for a musician’s most personal to also become an artistic triumph, driven sincerity, effort, and honesty. That’s the case with Israeli guitarist and composer Nada Remez, whose sophomore album, Summit, places him in the company of American saxophonist Greg Tardy, pianist Guy Moskovich, bassist Ben Tiberio, and drummer David Sirkis. The program features eight Remez originals, written over the pat two decades, alongside three covers.

With a clean tone and resolute attack, Remez opens with “The Awakening”, a mature, layered piece that causes frisson at every turn. A solo piano prelude yields to a bass melody, the drums fortify the atmosphere, and the saxophone guides sumptuous melodic paths with the aid of the guitar. It’s as if John Abercrombie’s magic guitarism met a modal slice of Jewish folk, briefly disrupted by contemporary effects.

The quintet reimagines Yedidia Admon’s “Shedemati”, a century-old agricultural song, with sharp focus and modal enchantment. Entrancing bass lines launch solos from Remez, who colors under a swinging backdrop; Tardy, whose phrases weave in and out without losing narrative articulation; and Moskovich, who, catching Tardy’s solo tail, develops from there his own ideas.

Marked by epic expansiveness and exploratory drive, “Hephaestus” unfolds as an odd-metered contemporary klezmer before Tardy’s blazing solo. On Noam Sheriff’s “Hinach Yaffa Raayati”, harmony and rhythm are laid down with a modern feel, with the luminous main melody fronting a well-developed theme. The group shows cohesiveness, riding sequences of 16-beat cycles with joy and purpose. 

Remez’s compositions demand both skill and sensitivity, qualities the group embodies fully on “Beyond!”, with its asymmetric form and the bandleader’s hypnotic, patiently built solo. Remez trades ideas with Tardy on the title track, while the saxophonist also shines on the closer, “Adon Olam”, a traditional Jewish prayer lifted into spiritual resonance. 

Authentic and deeply personal, Remez’s style radiates integrity. Summit not only showcases his voice but also the remarkable chemistry and talent of his quintet.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - The Awakening ► 02 - Shedemati ► 04 - Hephaestrus ► 09 - Beyond!

Johnathan Blake - My Life Matters

Label: Blue Note Records, 2025

Personnel - Dayna Stephens: tenor and soprano saxophone, EWI; Jalen Baker: vibraphone; Fabian Almazan: piano, electronics; Dezron Douglas: upright and electric bass; DJ Jahi Sundane: turntables (#1,9); Bilal: vocals (#4,14); Johna Blake: additional electric bass (#13); Muna Blake: spoken word (#6); Johnathan Blake: drums, cymbals.

In his third album for Blue Note Records, drummer/composer Johnathan Blake—long regarded as a rhythm architect and prominent figure in the scene—delivers an adventurous and deeply personal musical statement that addresses racial injustice. Leading a core quintet with saxophonist Dayna Stephens, vibraphonist Jalen Baker, pianist Fabian Almazan, and bassist Dezron Douglas, Blake presents a 14-track suite comprising six expansive compositions and eight interludes that serve as canvases for solo or duo explorations.

“Broken Drum Circle For the Forsaken” opens with DJ Jahi Sundance’s turntables and samples entwined with Blake’s vivid, wide-ranging drumming, which also commands the solo piece “Can You Hear Me?”, a clattering, booming outcry of skins and cymbals.

“Last Breath”—a tribute to Eric Garner, murdered by chokehold—moves in 5/4, beautifully delineated by Baker’s vibes for an airy, intimate feel. There’s a high-flying solo by Stephens on EWI, followed by a 4/4 swinging motion that accommodates Baker’s solo, before returning to its original current for Almazan’s persuasive discourse. Longer works such as “My Life Matters” and “Can Tomorrow Be Brighter” highlight Blake’s sharp compositional intellect alongside the quintet’s formidable execution. The former—a warhorse professed with affirmation, energy, and plenty of groovy fantasy—is lifted by Stephens and Baker’s soulfully improvised exchanges as well as Almazan’s versatile pianism within a subtly Latinized passage rich in harmonic counterpoint; the latter piece, delivered in five and propelled by an urgent bass groove and excellent percussion work, climaxes with Stephens, who leaves orbit with a delightful tenor statement.

Almazan introduces the ballad “Requiem For Dreams Shattered” with a solo piano oratorio and electronics, later opting for a string of catchy riffs in his testimony. Guest vocalist Bilal deepens the impact, while Stephens adds an emotionally charged soprano saxophone solo.

The interlude “I Still Have a Dream” pairs Douglas’ bass pizzicato with Muna Blake’s spoken word—the poem is by her mother, Rio Sakairi. “That Which Kills Us Makes Us What?” is a haunting EWI eulogy that makes an impression. In turn, “We’ll Never Know” is a fulfilling waltz rooted in soul and gospel, channeling echoes of Ray Charles and Billy Joel while keeping hope alive.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Last Breath ► 07 - My Life Matters ► 11 - Can Tomorrow Be Brighter

Ariel Bart - After Silence

Label: Self released, 2025

Personnel - Ariel Bart: harmonica; Talia Erdal: cello; Arseny Rykov: piano.

After two albums under her belt, Berlin-based harmonica player Ariel Bart debuts an unusual bass-less, drum-less trio—active for the past three years—with cellist Talia Erdal and pianist Arseny Rykov, narrating heartfelt stories with uncanny musical empathy. In After Silence, she invites us to explore what lies beneath the surface, urging attention to detail and to what’s often hidden.

The title track, “After Silence”, sets the tone as a melancholy opening statement. “Wind From the North” leans on tastefully supportive piano anchored in a relentless odd-metered pulse, with Bart’s solo radiating emotional resonance at every turn. The whole piece carries a mesmerizing poignancy.

Cello and harmonica share parts of the melody on the captivating “Oath”, whose relaxing sonorities flow seamlessly into “Behind Windows”. The latter offers a fine piano solo and mellifluous cello-harmonica unisons. Lyricism abounds here, tinged with gentle romanticism and spiritual significance.

Erdal’s cello cries adorn “Seeds of Change”, in another profound reflection. And by listening to Bart’s solo on “One Warrior”, one can attest she’s a worthy voice in the chromatic harmonica lineage of Toots Thielemans and Gregoire Maret. She plays with striking fluency, supported by Rykov’s elegant comping. “Don’t Forget Us When the War is Over” follows as a plaintive chamber piece delivered with poise and command. 

The Ariel Bart Trio crafts a unified sound and mood that extends across the album with intimacy and coherence. Meditative in nature yet rich in feeling, the music resonates with sheer emotion.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Wind From the North ► 03 - Oath ► 05 - One Warrior